Nela Dunato is an artist, designer, writer, and teacher from Croatia. She’s been working as a graphic designer since 2005, and has started her own design consultancy in 2013. Her focus is helping passion-driven businesses to create expressive brand identities and exceptional client experiences.

She’s the author of the book “The Human Centered Brand” that teaches service based business owners and creatives how to create an authentic brand and grow meaningful relationships with their clients.

She also teaches design as a course instructor, leads in-person workshops, and speaks at events. She’s been writing articles about art, design, marketing, business, and creativity for over a decade.

Nela Dunato is an artist, designer, writer, and teacher from Croatia. She’s been working as a graphic designer since 2005, and has started her own design consultancy in 2013. Her focus is helping passion-driven businesses to create expressive brand i... Show more

Hey there! I'm Gabrielle, a total product nerd with a real knack for getting things done efficiently and solving problems like a boss. My career has been all about product development, and I've got the track record to prove it- promotions and salary raises were like my middle name!

But you know what? As much as I rocked it in the corporate world, I started feeling like something was off. Being the perfect corporate steward just wasn't fulfilling the life I had in mind. It was time for a change!

So, I decided to follow my heart and chase a career that truly aligns with all parts of me- the mom, the visionary, the innovator, and the go-getter. I wanted a path that let me be all of that and more.

Now, with my infectious energy, passion for innovation, and dedication to excellence, I'm on a mission to create a career that fits perfectly with my life and everything that matters to me. It's a journey of intentionality. I still tackle incredibly complex business challenges & I think outside the box, all while getting to teach others to do the same and chase their own career confidence!

Cheers to chasing our dreams and embracing all the parts that make us who we are!

Hey there! I'm Gabrielle, a total product nerd with a real knack for getting things done efficiently and solving problems like a boss. My career has been all about product development, and I've got the track record to prove it- promotions and salary ... Show more

With over 25 years in software development (almost 15 of which is .NET), Dr. Bill brings a pragmatic (curmudgeonly?) approach to software development. With much of that time spent in consulting, he has worked on many different projects and used many different designs and approaches. After spending his life in the US, Bill has recently moved to the UK where is working in London as a Business Systems Analyst for Moonpig.

With over 25 years in software development (almost 15 of which is .NET), Dr. Bill brings a pragmatic (curmudgeonly?) approach to software development. With much of that time spent in consulting, he has worked on many different projects and used many... Show more

From running street teams to making a music documentary, Christine spent most of my adolescence deeply entrenched in the music industry and went on to receive an undergrad degree in Music Business, followed by an MBA in Marketing and a Masters in Data Science. She managed to combine all of her passions into roles consulting and working with various music startups, venues, festivals, radio stations and labels bridging the gap between music, data & business. Originally from Baltimore, MD, USA, Christine spent 2 years in Stockholm most recently as the Head of Data & Insights for Universal Music Sweden and now calls London home working as the Director of Data & Insights for Global Marketing at Warner Music Group, where Christine use data to tell stories & help guide our artist's journeys.

From running street teams to making a music documentary, Christine spent most of my adolescence deeply entrenched in the music industry and went on to receive an undergrad degree in Music Business, followed by an MBA in Marketing and a Masters in Dat... Show more

Ray Voice is a Forbes-featured independent economic analyst, CEO, marketer, and author. For over sixteen years, he has served as a brand advisor to financial institutions, investment funds, and prominent legal firms across Wall Street and international capital markets, guiding complex brand positioning, institutional communication, and high-stakes PR cases.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Voice/Muramasa Agency Group and Co-Managing Partner of Rykaur, Ray oversees a portfolio of strategic ventures dedicated to advancing individual sovereignty and liberty, while servicing specific demographics aligned with those market requirements. He is known for a hedge-fund-like brand management and advertising strategy that leverages macroeconomic forces and quant-like models—prioritizing the right risk-and-return profile for each business rather than pursuing the volatile, high-risk tactics rampant across the advertising and PR industries.

Ray is the author of Parasocial Influence and writes the widely circulated Across Wealth & Influence newsletter, read by over 7,800 subscribers, including investors, executives, philanthropists, NGOs, activists, and civil attorneys. For his insights on advertising, business, finance, search engine architecture, and social media algorithm architecture, he has been featured in over 300 media outlets, including Forbes.com.

"Sovereignty over oneself is the only valid proof of wealth, success, and liberty."
— Ray Voice

Ray Voice is a Forbes-featured independent economic analyst, CEO, marketer, and author. For over sixteen years, he has served as a brand advisor to financial institutions, investment funds, and prominent legal firms across Wall Street and internation... Show more

Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal is a senior expert in marketing, communications and strategy, an entrepreneur since 2011, and the founder of Ricciarelli Partners.

Originally trained as a journalist and a graduate of the École Supérieure de Journalisme, he brings the methods of analysis, investigation and editorial rigor into the business world. His work focuses on helping organisations clarify their positioning, strengthen their communication, improve strategic coherence and turn complex decisions into concrete, actionable directions.

For more than fourteen years, he has advised executives, SMEs, agencies and organisations on marketing, communications, commercial strategy, business transformation and the practical adoption of artificial intelligence.

His expertise in AI for business focuses on governance, organisational adoption, accountability and measurable business value rather than technical implementation alone. He examines how companies can move beyond experimentation and integrate AI into clear operating models, decision-making processes and responsible management practices.

Julien has completed certified programs with institutions including the University of London, MITx, HEC Paris, Google, Microsoft, IBM and IE Business School.

He is also an author and regular contributor to recognised French business and marketing publications, including Journal du Net and Webmarketing & co’m.

Through his speaking topics, Julien explores the intersection of strategy, marketing, communication, digital transformation and AI adoption, with one central belief: effective strategy is not about doing more, but about making an organisation more understandable, more credible and more coherent in what it says, does and represents.

Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal is a senior expert in marketing, communications and strategy, an entrepreneur since 2011, and the founder of Ricciarelli Partners. Originally trained as a journalist and a graduate of the École Supérieure de Journalisme, ... Show more

Passionnée par les communications et les relations humaines, Michelle se spécialise dans la gestion des médias sociaux et le marketing, où elle déploie son talent pour le storytelling. Mon rôle de responsable marketing m'a permis de développer une approche créative et stratégique, en mettant l'accent sur l'authenticité et l'engagement. En tant que facilitatrice, je promeus l'agilité et l'innovation au sein des équipes, favorisant un environnement dynamique et inclusif. Ma spécialisation en communication interculturelle renforce ma capacité à naviguer et à connecter divers contextes. Je m'engage à créer des ponts entre les personnes et les cultures, valorisant le dialogue et la compréhension mutuelle dans chaque interaction.

Passionnée par les communications et les relations humaines, Michelle se spécialise dans la gestion des médias sociaux et le marketing, où elle déploie son talent pour le storytelling. Mon rôle de responsable marketing m'a permis de développer une ap... Show more

Imam 28 godina i dolazim iz Rijeke. U slobodno vrijeme bavim se fotografijom, igranjem boardgameova, gledanjem filmova, serija i animea. Nadam se da ćete uživati i zabaviti se samnom na kvizu!

Imam 28 godina i dolazim iz Rijeke. U slobodno vrijeme bavim se fotografijom, igranjem boardgameova, gledanjem filmova, serija i animea. Nadam se da ćete uživati i zabaviti se samnom na kvizu! Show more

Robert Shumake, PhD, known internationally as Ajarn Shaman Shu, is a uniquely credentialed scholar, spiritual teacher, and public intellectual. A direct student of Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan and Malidoma Patrice Somé, he is a fully initiated Buddhist Ajarn in the Theravada tradition, a Vajra Master in the Padmasambhava lineage, a consecrated High Priest of Yoruba Ifá (Babalawo and Oluwo Osain), and a Sri Vidya initiate of the Tamil Siddhar tradition.

He is the author of over 140 books, including Shurooms: The African Roots of Sacred Plant Medicine, The Original Avengers, KRIYA, African Reiki, Roots of Heaven, and the multi-volume Living Archive Series on American media history. He is the Founder and Chancellor of Buddha University® and the Buddha Ayurveda School of Medicine, and the owner of one of the largest privately held newspapers in the United States. His keynotes connect ancient spiritual science with modern neuroscience, education, and leadership.

Robert Shumake, PhD, known internationally as Ajarn Shaman Shu, is a uniquely credentialed scholar, spiritual teacher, and public intellectual. A direct student of Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan and Malidoma Patrice Somé, he is a fully initiated Buddhist Aj... Show more

Ben May is the Founder and Managing Director of The Code Company, a specialist enterprise WordPress agency working with media, publishing and content-driven brands across APAC and internationally. His team's philosophy is simple: less tech, more journalism. Publishers should spend their energy on content and audiences, not fighting their platforms.
Ben has spent nearly two decades building on WordPress, from his personal blog (running since 2005) to large-scale publishing platforms handling serious traffic. More recently he's been focused on how publishers and agencies should actually think about AI, cutting through the hype to what solves real business problems. He also runs Enqueue, a curated WordPress developer conference in Australia.
He's based in Queensland, Australia, and writes regularly at thecode.co and benmay.org.

Ben May is the Founder and Managing Director of The Code Company, a specialist enterprise WordPress agency working with media, publishing and content-driven brands across APAC and internationally. His team's philosophy is simple: less tech, more jour... Show more

Tonny Gidraph is a technical writer and software developer with experience creating technical content across software development, Raspberry Pi projects, Linux systems, cybersecurity, web development, and emerging technologies. He focuses on translating complex technical concepts into practical, easy-to-follow content for diverse audiences.

With a hands-on background in building and experimenting with technology, Tonny combines technical knowledge with clear communication to create documentation that is accessible to different audiences.

He is particularly interested in how AI is transforming the documentation process and how technical writers can adapt to new tools while maintaining accuracy, usability, and trust.

Portfolio: https://txdgidraph.github.io/

Tonny Gidraph is a technical writer and software developer with experience creating technical content across software development, Raspberry Pi projects, Linux systems, cybersecurity, web development, and emerging technologies. He focuses on translat... Show more

# About Esha Bargate

**Esha Bargate** is a media entrepreneur, producer, AI media strategist, marketing executive, and global advocate for the future of storytelling. She is the Founder & CEO of **Esha Bargate Productions LLC**, an AI-powered media production and marketing company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Founder & President of the **AI/VR Motion Picture Guild™**, an international professional organization advancing innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, immersive technology, and cinema.

With more than a decade of experience across film, television, digital media, marketing, and entrepreneurship, Esha has built a career connecting creativity, business strategy, and emerging technology. Her work spans film production, entertainment marketing, public relations, distribution strategy, AI-powered content creation, and international business development.

Esha began her career in India before moving to the United States to expand her creative and professional journey. She earned an MBA in Media Management, completed documentary filmmaking studies at the New York Film Academy, and received a Master's degree in Media Communications from Webster University. Her global background continues to shape her mission of building creative bridges between Hollywood, India, and international media markets.

As a producer and entrepreneur, Esha has worked across television, film, entertainment marketing, and global distribution. She served as **Co-Producer** on the short film ***Sarhadein***, helping secure its distribution on **Apple TV** and **Google TV**. Earlier in her career, she independently pitched an original unscripted television show directly to **Amazon Studios, USA**, demonstrating her ability to develop and present original content to major entertainment platforms.

Through **Esha Bargate Productions LLC**, she supports filmmakers, startups, brands, and creative businesses with AI-powered media production, marketing strategy, branded content, entertainment promotion, and distribution consulting. Her company focuses on helping creators and organizations tell powerful stories, reach wider audiences, and adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape.

Beyond her business ventures, Esha is committed to industry leadership and education. Through the **AI/VR Motion Picture Guild™**, she promotes responsible AI adoption, professional development, global collaboration, and meaningful conversations about the future of filmmaking. She also leads **AI Meets Cinema™**, a global interview and education platform exploring how artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and emerging technologies are transforming storytelling.

Esha has also contributed to international volunteer media initiatives, including projects connected to United Nations programs, where she supported communications, video editing, educational content, and awareness campaigns. These experiences strengthened her belief that storytelling can educate, empower, and create meaningful social impact.

Recognized for her leadership in media, entrepreneurship, and creative technology, Esha continues to build platforms that connect independent creators, technology innovators, studios, educators, and global audiences. Her mission is to empower creators with innovative tools while preserving the human creativity, cultural perspective, and emotional truth at the heart of every powerful story.

# About Esha Bargate **Esha Bargate** is a media entrepreneur, producer, AI media strategist, marketing executive, and global advocate for the future of storytelling. She is the Founder & CEO of **Esha Bargate Productions LLC**, an AI-powered medi... Show more

Surya Narayana Reddy Chintacunta is a data engineer focused on building large-scale, AI-driven systems across cloud platforms. His work spans privacy-preserving customer analytics, real-time feature engineering for LLMs, and reinforcement learning for media optimization. At WPP Media, he leads data and analytics initiatives across AWS and GCP, including clean room integrations, ML-powered audience modeling, and global campaign intelligence systems. He has built distributed pipelines for e-commerce, insurance, and retail clients, and holds a master’s degree in Data Science from UMBC. Surya’s interests sit at the intersection of AI, distributed systems, and applied marketing science.

Surya Narayana Reddy Chintacunta is a data engineer focused on building large-scale, AI-driven systems across cloud platforms. His work spans privacy-preserving customer analytics, real-time feature engineering for LLMs, and reinforcement learning fo... Show more

If there’s a breaking news story, Natalie Martinez is usually on it.She just celebrated 25 years with NBC Chicago!Natalie joined NBC Chicago as a general assignment reporter in January 2001. She spent many years reporting for all of our daily newscasts, and anchored our weekend mornings for several years. She’s now seen every weeknight at 10 p.m. reporting on the top stories of the day, and every Friday night anchoring at 5, 6 and 10p.Natalie has covered big stories, like the deadly tornadoes that devastated Fairdale and Washington, Ill., and smaller stories that matter to the "little guy." She won one of her Emmys for her non-stop reporting of those Washington tornadoes. She earned another for her NATO Summit coverage in 2012. And most recently she added another Emmy for her coverage on the election of Pope Leo XIV in 2025.With more than two decades of reporting and anchoring under her belt, she came to NBC Chicago from WXXA-TV, the Fox station in Albany, N.Y. During her final two years Albany, Martinez was the primary anchor.Prior to her work at WXXA, this award-winning journalist had worked as an anchor, reporter and producer for several upstate New York television and radio stations.Natalie is very active and recognized in the Latino community and a respected member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, for which she was elected Chicago Chapter President in 2016. In 2017, the national NAHJ organization awarded her with the coveted "Si Se Puede" Excellence in Leadership award. In 2018 she was recognized by Negocios Now publication as Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago for her contributions to the betterment of the community.She also does charitable work for CAWC (Connections for Abused Women and their Children) , the Salvation Army among many others. She frequently services as Mistress of Ceremonies for groups all over the Chicagoland area. In March 2011, Martinez was named one of Chicago's Most Influential Women by the I'm Every Woman Expo.A native of Buffalo, New York, Martinez is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and University of North London on scholarship.In 2012, she was among the journalists honored with a Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Award for her role in covering the verdict in the trial against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. She won an AP award for Best Reporter in 2013 for her breadth of work covering breaking, hard and feature news stories.Natalie’s work covering the Laquan McDonald case helped NBC 5 earn a coveted Peabody Award in 2016.Natalie grew up with a Ukrainian mother and Dominican father. She embraces and appreciates all the diversity that Chicago has to offer, and is a proud supporter of the Ukrainian community as well.Throughout her childhood and teens, Natalie danced ballet and has a deep-rooted appreciation for the arts. She’s often seen attending or hosting art related events around the city.Drop Natalie a line: natalie.martinez@nbc.com and follow her news coverage and exciting events on:InstagramTwitterFacebook

If there’s a breaking news story, Natalie Martinez is usually on it.She just celebrated 25 years with NBC Chicago!Natalie joined NBC Chicago as a general assignment reporter in January 2001. She spent many years reporting for all of our daily newsc... Show more

With 25 years in User Experience, Oliver has been exploring the research and design of Spatial Computing and Augmented Reality for the last eight years. He focusses on how spatial computing changes the way we interact with computers, and with each other, by co-authoring academic research, running industry events, mentoring and speaking in 7 countries.

He has been working on spatial computing client projects around the globe; from enhancing cognitive training and testing, to creating engaging documentary experiences, to the future of retail. His UX consultancy, Contxtual, works across a variety of spatial computing and smartglasses platforms, including; visionOS, Snap OS and AndroidXR.

With 25 years in User Experience, Oliver has been exploring the research and design of Spatial Computing and Augmented Reality for the last eight years. He focusses on how spatial computing changes the way we interact with computers, and with each ot... Show more

In 2022, journalist and podcaster Karen Steward released the true crime podcast Burden, examining the mysterious 1991 death of Billie Jean Letterman. The case remained unresolved for more than three decades, leaving Billie Jean's family searching for justice.

As the limited series wrapped, she had no idea the story was far from over. In 2025, Michael Letterman was arrested and charged with Billie Jean’s murder, turning a decades-old mystery into a contemporary courtroom drama that will unfold this year.

Steward is an award-winning investigative journalist. She has worked as a reporter and anchor at the NPR affiliate in Little Rock and as Public Education Coordinator for the Arkansas Supreme Court.

In 2022, journalist and podcaster Karen Steward released the true crime podcast Burden, examining the mysterious 1991 death of Billie Jean Letterman. The case remained unresolved for more than three decades, leaving Billie Jean's family searching for... Show more

Jimmy Katiyar is a Senior Manager of Product Management at SiriusXM Inc., where he leads Salesforce-based ad sales technology transformations across media, satellite, streaming, and podcast platforms. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner, he serves as both a Product Leader and Functional Solution Architect, supporting cross-functional domains including Sales Development, Marketing, Listener Support, Legal, Programmatic Sales, Ad Creative Services, Finance, Credit & Collections, and Training Enablement.
In his current role, Jimmy spearheads critical initiatives for streaming and podcast campaign booking, brand categorization, show monetization, and enforcement of ad block category and brand preferences. He drives unified Quote-to-Cash programs, leading Direct and Programmatic Sales redesign with opportunity product line-item integration, split approval processes, insertion order automation, and reporting data aggregation. His leadership of the Revenue Recognition project resulted in the successful design and implementation of a payment portal processing $750K–$3.5M daily, enabling advertisers and agencies to pay invoices via ACH or credit cards while integrating with Oracle Finance systems.
Jimmy's technical expertise spans Salesforce Service Cloud optimization, where he has delivered AI-powered solutions including DeepConverse Chat and Einstein AI features for case classification, article recommendation, case closure, and next best action workflows. His architectural work includes designing omni-channel routing systems, entitlement management for case milestones, CSAT automation, and creating unified "single pane of glass" interfaces for service agents. He also architected Salesforce processes for legal digital signature workflows using Adobe Sign for NDAs.
With over two decades of experience in enterprise technology solutions, Jimmy has held progressive leadership roles at organizations including Equinix Inc., IBM Global Business Services, Hewlett Packard, and Tech Mahindra. His international experience includes traveling to the UK and Singapore to support regional product integration efforts, aligning global teams and system designs for scalable, maintainable solutions tailored to global support operations.
Jimmy holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from MJP Rohilkhand University and maintains multiple industry certifications, including Salesforce Certified AI Associate, Service Cloud Consultant, and Administrator credentials, along with Certified Scrum Product Owner from Scrum Alliance, Oracle Siebel CRM Consultant, and IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner certifications. His expertise in streamlining ad sales, AI strategies, product integration, business process re-engineering, and customer experience continues to drive innovation in ad sales technology transformations.

Jimmy Katiyar is a Senior Manager of Product Management at SiriusXM Inc., where he leads Salesforce-based ad sales technology transformations across media, satellite, streaming, and podcast platforms. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner, he serves as ... Show more

Nikhil Mehra is a Senior Product Manager specializing in AI systems, data platforms, and product strategy. He focuses on architecting decision loops, data contracts, and human-in-the-loop patterns using high-velocity, real-time domains as a proving ground for scalable AI product design. His work spans automation frameworks and experimentation systems operating at scale in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Nikhil writes and speaks on bridging the gap between AI model capabilities and practical product implementation, emphasizing system reliability, risk thresholds, and operational guardrails.

Nikhil Mehra is a Senior Product Manager specializing in AI systems, data platforms, and product strategy. He focuses on architecting decision loops, data contracts, and human-in-the-loop patterns using high-velocity, real-time domains as a proving g... Show more

Julie Watts is a national-award-winning investigative correspondent for CBS News California. Based in California’s State Capitol, Julie's reporting combines watchdog journalism with solutions-focused storytelling to expose systemic failures, hold the powerful accountable, spur legislative reforms, increase transparency and drive change.

Julie Watts is a national-award-winning investigative correspondent for CBS News California. Based in California’s State Capitol, Julie's reporting combines watchdog journalism with solutions-focused storytelling to expose systemic failures, hold the... Show more

In the high-stakes B2B ecosystem, moving from a transactional business to a category-leading brand is not a cosmetic exercise. You cannot solve a deep positioning gap with a prettier logo, a generic press release, or superficial copy. It requires a structural redesign of how your business communicates its value.

My approach to strategic communications was forged over 7+ years of building brand strategies for high-growth enterprises and turning around struggling creative agencies and internal communications teams.

But what makes my methodology distinct is where I learned to analyze structures: the tax litigation matters of law firms, PwC India, and at the Delhi High Court. As a former tax litigation lawyer and LL.M. Gold Medalist, I spent 8 years dissecting complex corporate systems in an active legal practice pan-India. This brings unmatched analytical structure, logical flow, and risk-mitigation discipline to brand strategy, narratives, and visual language.

Today, as the Corporate Brand Architect and Founder of Alabaster Comms, I apply that exact analytical rigor to build corporate brand systems for mid-market enterprises, professional services firms, and startups, ensuring their communication strategies structurally align with their commercial goals.

I consult from a lived experience of:

M&A Value Creation: Designing the comprehensive brand strategy and positioning for a mid-tier IT services player, elevating its market posture to play a critical role in its successful acquisition.

Professional Services Scale: Architecting the organic regional narrative for a specialized cross-border law firm, driving their LinkedIn positioning to 10K+ high-value followers purely from scratch.

Agency Turnaround & Operations: Restructuring an APAC creative agency as Head of Client Services, stabilizing team operations, retaining major regional retainers, and securing a shortlist for South Asia Independent Agency of the Year.

Analytical Advocacy: Deploying the mental mobility, attention to detail, and cross-cultural adaptability gained from an LL.M. Gold Medal and an army background to solve high-pressure stakeholder alignment issues.

In the high-stakes B2B ecosystem, moving from a transactional business to a category-leading brand is not a cosmetic exercise. You cannot solve a deep positioning gap with a prettier logo, a generic press release, or superficial copy. It requires a s... Show more

Brendan Keefe serves as Chief Investigator for Atlanta News First Investigates. He’s one of the most-decorated investigative reporters in the nation.

Brendan’s investigations have earned two National Emmys, the George Foster Peabody Award, the DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton, nine National Edward R. Murrow Awards, and more than 145 regional Emmys.

His biggest motivation is uncovering systemic and institutional failures with the goal of making our communities better and safer places in which to live. Brendan’s stories have changed laws, led to multiple patents, fixed the nation’s 911 system, and stopped DEA agents from searching innocent air travelers nationwide.

Brendan has worked as an investigative reporter in Atlanta for over a decade. He began his career 35 years ago as a news photographer. Brendan never really put the camera down as a reporter and anchor in cities across the nation, including Houston and New York City.

He was embedded with the US Army during the Iraq war. Brendan has also taught generations of journalists as a member of the visiting faculty of the Poynter Institute. Brendan graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in English Literature.

Today, Brendan is a one-man-band by choice, serving as his own photographer, producer and video editor on complex investigations for Atlanta News First, and Gray Media’s national program, InvestigateTV+.

Brendan Keefe serves as Chief Investigator for Atlanta News First Investigates. He’s one of the most-decorated investigative reporters in the nation. Brendan’s investigations have earned two National Emmys, the George Foster Peabody Award, the DuP... Show more

Eugene Willis Jr. is an Application Analyst, Red Hat Systems Administrator, and Helpdesk professional who built his career in tech from the ground up. Starting without a formal background, he worked his way from support roles into managing Red Hat systems and higher education applications. With degrees in Business and Marketing, Eugene blends technical expertise with creative strategy to solve real-world problems. Outside of tech, he’s a touring emcee and author who enjoys mentoring others and helping them carve out their own path forward.

Eugene Willis Jr. is an Application Analyst, Red Hat Systems Administrator, and Helpdesk professional who built his career in tech from the ground up. Starting without a formal background, he worked his way from support roles into managing Red Hat sy... Show more

Markus is a Senior Software Engineer and Architect working for Karakun. He's spend most his time so far in building solutions for desktop, web and mobile and has become passionate about open source software and team culture. He loves to deliver working, beneficial solutions.
Markus organizes the Hackergarten in Basel and loves to contribte back to the open-source community. His community activities also include speaking at conferences and publishing articles.
In his sparetime, he likes to take photos, to spend time with his family and to ride his Motorbike to get some freah air.

Markus is a Senior Software Engineer and Architect working for Karakun. He's spend most his time so far in building solutions for desktop, web and mobile and has become passionate about open source software and team culture. He loves to deliver worki... Show more

A designer, writer and technologist, Juliana Castro Varón is the senior design editor of AI Initiatives at The New York Times, and a cartoonist for The New Yorker. She’s the founder and now board member of Cita Press, a publisher of dozens of books by women, currently sponsored by Educopia and funded by Mellon. Juliana has received fellowships from Fulbright and Harvard, where she’s an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

A designer, writer and technologist, Juliana Castro Varón is the senior design editor of AI Initiatives at The New York Times, and a cartoonist for The New Yorker. She’s the founder and now board member of Cita Press, a publisher of dozens of books b... Show more

Joe Dana is a multi-media journalist in Phoenix covering public education, energy policy and climate.
Reports on schools examine:
-funding, academics and policy debates in the nation's first universal private voucher program, launched in 2023
-how federal, state and local tax dollars support three systems of education in Arizona (school districts, charter schools, ESA private vouchers)
-how billions of dollars flows from the state, to private voucher accounts, and then to education vendors, tutors, and retailers like Amazon. This multi-year investigation has led to an ongoing public records lawsuit brought by investigative reporter/colleague Craig Harris against the AZ Superintendent and Treasurer.
Joe's series, Power & Influence, examines climate and justice concerns in Arizona's energy sector. His stories exposed faulty customer service at Arizona's largest utility in 2019, prompting a $25 million class settlement. A 2025 investigation about utility shut-off deaths during extreme heat was credited by the AZ Attorney General for helping lead to a $7 million civil settlement for low-income customers.
Joe gets easily distracted, chasing random stories about stuff like birdwatching technology, the science of art therapy and what its like to walk Arizona's first barefoot forest trail.

Joe Dana is a multi-media journalist in Phoenix covering public education, energy policy and climate. Reports on schools examine: -funding, academics and policy debates in the nation's first universal private voucher program, launched in 2023 -how... Show more

Adedire Abiodun Christopher, widely known as @oacthecreator, is a visual storyteller and global changemaker using the power of storytelling to inspire action and amplify unheard voices.

Via his storytelling abilities, he’s made unknown people celebrated across the world, he’s made some who had nothing, millionaires overnight.

With a digital footprint that has reached over 100 million people across social media, his work blends creativity with purpose, reminding people that storytelling can be more than just entertainment. Through powerful visual stories, he challenges people to look beyond virality and views, and instead, to create with intention.

His storytelling continues to motivate thousands to create not just for clout or money, but to create for something greater: change, impact, and legacy.

Adedire Abiodun Christopher, widely known as @oacthecreator, is a visual storyteller and global changemaker using the power of storytelling to inspire action and amplify unheard voices. Via his storytelling abilities, he’s made unknown people cele... Show more

I'm Josh Nel and I'm a Johannesburg-based freelance data analyst, storyteller, and community strategist working at the intersection of data analytics, content marketing, and community engagement. I have a background in both the Humanities and Data Science with Master's degrees in Philosophy and Social Data Science. That combination lets me bring a combination of rigorous analytical thinking and curiosity to every project. To me, any good form data-driven work means staying focused on why the data matters and who needs to hear it.

I've been a lead contributor to South Africa's largest tech careers report and dataset, as well as the country's largest community salary benchmarking dataset for tech professionals. My seasonal spend report series for Yoco examined domestic and international tourism behaviour during South Africa's peak travel seasons. This series earned national media syndication and a direct invitation to present findings to the Mayor of Cape Town.

Today, I work across FinTech, InsurTech, tech recruitment, and the nonprofit sector, with clients including Yoco, Feather Insurance, OfferZen, and the People's Water Anti-Corruption Forum. Across my clients my approach remains to find the story hiding in the numbers, and tell it in a way that helps people make better decisions.

I speak on topics related to data-driven storytelling and its applications for businesses, community research, and ways of translating data or statistical insights for non-technical audiences.

I'm Josh Nel and I'm a Johannesburg-based freelance data analyst, storyteller, and community strategist working at the intersection of data analytics, content marketing, and community engagement. I have a background in both the Humanities and Data Sc... Show more

Ann Marie Awad is an award-winning independent audio journalist with more than 15 years of experience in the news business. As a host and reporter in public radio newsrooms across three different states, their work has also aired nationally on NPR and Here & Now. Ann Marie has produced, edited and consulted on podcast projects with clients including Audible, SONOS and WAMU.

Ann Marie Awad is an award-winning independent audio journalist with more than 15 years of experience in the news business. As a host and reporter in public radio newsrooms across three different states, their work has also aired nationally on NPR an... Show more

Heather Satterley is the Director of Education of Media at Woodard.

Heather’s passion for helping others and her love for technology have shaped her career in public accounting. Her affinity for facilitating change within an organization is paramount to her work, helping businesses design and automate their business processes using cutting-edge technologies. Heather wholeheartedly believes in the power of community and the magic that is created when people work together toward the same purpose.

In addition to her work with Woodard, Heather is the co-host of The Appy Hour with Liz and Heather, a webinar series devoted to demystifying the world of technology and apps in the accounting profession. She is also the co-creator and producer of Appy Hour Camp, a collaborative retreat experience created to connect and nurture the relationship between accounting professional educators and software developers.

Heather was named a categorical top 10 ProAdvisor in 2017 and 2019 and was listed as one of the top influential people in accounting by Accounting Today in 2019.

Heather Satterley is the Director of Education of Media at Woodard. Heather’s passion for helping others and her love for technology have shaped her career in public accounting. Her affinity for facilitating change within an organization is param... Show more

Steve Geimann was a reporter, editor, manager and executive for more than four decades in print, broadcast, trade press and wire services. He is active in professional journalism groups and leads the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, the agency that accredits 118 international college journalism and mass communications programs. He was elected in 2025 to a three-year term as Council president.
Geimann was 1996-97 president of the Society of Professional Journalists, the 117-year-old group of U.S. professional and student journalists. He was president of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, now the SPJ Foundation, the educational arm of the Society, from 2006-12. He won the Wells Memorial Key, the Society's highest honor, in 2001.
The long-time Washington, D.C., resident managed weekend coverage of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Bloomberg News in London for more than three years, after leading coverage of regulation, transportation, politics and technology in Washington. For two years, he anchored Bloomberg Radio’s “The Final Word,” a daily wrap-up of market, company and political news broadcast in New York and on satellite radio.
Geimann spent 11 years at United Press International, including two years as executive editor and spokesman.

Steve Geimann was a reporter, editor, manager and executive for more than four decades in print, broadcast, trade press and wire services. He is active in professional journalism groups and leads the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and... Show more